How long is a chicken's memory?

[EurekaSouth]

Hello!
Our chickens live in a 2 acre fenced in area with our dogs (totally fine with each other), our bees, our orchard, and our garden (fenced within that 2 acres).
For years, our chickens have never been interested in the far corner where a pond forms in the rainy season.
I made the mistake of trying to plant sunflowers around that pond; the chickens found them right away and ate all the sunflower seeds, which was no big deal, but they're also eating our frog eggs.

I kept them in their coop that M-F while I went to work and let them out the next weekend. Of course, they headed (pretty much) straight over to the pond and started scratching and looking for more frog eggs and sunflower seeds, so I've kept them in their coop this week, too.

Will they forget about the pond after some time? They have lots of other forage.

 

[Roo5]

Many people believe chickens memories aren’t that good,when actually they have pretty good memories.If they were tooken competelty off the property for awhile,like some weeks,they may forget about them,but most likely being in the property all the time their never gonna forget about it,escpecially with there being food source available.

 

[feathermaid]

Well, they've just been highly rewarded for discovering that new area... they probably won't forget ever about it. Maybe, after the pond dries up and there's nothing interesting left, they'll move on to other grounds, but next year they might check it out again.

I have a couple blueberry bushes that my chickens race to whenever there's ripe blueberries, but show absolutely no urgency or interest during the off season. Yet every year, they always know exactly when those dang blueberries are ripe! I have to cover the bushes with bird netting which is only semi-effective. You might have to fence off that area if you want to keep your frog eggs safe.

 

[EurekaSouth]

Well, they've just been highly rewarded for discovering that new area... they probably won't forget ever about it. Maybe, after the pond dries up and there's nothing interesting left, they'll move on to other grounds, but next year they might check it out again.

I have a couple blueberry bushes that my chickens race to whenever there's ripe blueberries, but show absolutely no urgency or interest during the off season. Yet every year, they always know exactly when those dang blueberries are ripe! I have to cover the bushes with bird netting which is only semi-effective. You might have to fence off that area if you want to keep your frog eggs safe.

Yes, we may have to do that. Thanks.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello!
Our chickens live in a 2 acre fenced in area with our dogs (totally fine with each other), our bees, our orchard, and our garden (fenced within that 2 acres).
For years, our chickens have never been interested in the far corner where a pond forms in the rainy season.
I made the mistake of trying to plant sunflowers around that pond; the chickens found them right away and ate all the sunflower seeds, which was no big deal, but they're also eating our frog eggs.

I kept them in their coop that M-F while I went to work and let them out the next weekend. Of course, they headed (pretty much) straight over to the pond and started scratching and looking for more frog eggs and sunflower seeds, so I've kept them in their coop this week, too.

Will they forget about the pond after some time? They have lots of other forage.

Nope, they’ll never forget.That’s part of their route now.

 

[kubotafoot]

The term "Dumb clucks" don't apply to my hens at all. Their memory is fine and once "rewarded" with finding or getting something they really like, I'd say they were more like the elephant. They never forget!

 

[EurekaSouth]

This weekend we fenced the pond in. It's sort of tear drop shaped, so we fenced in a hexagon (we're beekeepers, too, so that's apropos). The chickens still get a small corner, but now I have a fenced in area for bee forage, too!

 

[SueT]

I mowed the lawn for the first time this year, and the chickens remembered it would stir up bugs and came running. Even the skittish 1 yr olds remembered it from last year.....

 

[Granitestater]

I mowed the lawn for the first time this year, and the chickens remembered it would stir up bugs and came running. Even the skittish 1 yr olds remembered it from last year.....

love your chicken/road picture! My chickens love it when ive mowed the lawn, esp. our big boy JimFeathers!